A Day of Many Parts

We packed up and left the Travel Lodge hotel. It did the job, just. I didn’t mention it before as there were more important things to record, but can now add it. When we checked in the day before Jean’s funeral, we went to our room and hung up our important clothes and then went to brush our teeth and wash our face. Tried the wash hand basin taps, tried the shower. No water! Bb went back to reception. ‘Oops, we forgot to tell you. There’s a problem with the water, but it’ll be back on at 3pm.’ It would have been good to know, but we had no energy to argue. We went out and were then out all day, visiting old family haunts and returning for a 5 min quick turnaround before going across the road from our hotel for a bite to eat. When we opened the door, we thought we were walking into a sauna!! We realised quite quickly that we’d left the shower tap turned on! Condensation running down the walls, all the surfaces wet, bedding damp, our clothes for the funeral damp! Even the carpets were damp! Oh dear!

Anyway, back to this morning and checking out. We did that and then drove to the crematorium to meet up with Alexis and David and Alastair and Murray. We wanted to be there to see Jean’s coffin arrive and be there for the end of her journey. And what a journey!

The others took the flowers to put on Bb’s dad‘s grave and we took a few flowers with us to Arran. We wanted to leave them on the spot where Irene and Robert’s ashes had been scattered. They were the great friends that Bb’s family had spent their summers with on Arran every year (and mentioned in the eulogy). We didn’t realise then that we’d be able to meet up later with Fiona and John - Fiona being one of their children, just before they left Arran. They’ve just bought a house there, after many decades of living in France.

We said our goodbyes to Bb’s siblings and drove to the ferry. Bb was as excited as a 5-year old as we were getting on the new ferry, the Glen Sannox. And what a lovely boat and crossing. It was a bit wild and windy (Bb almost lost his cap) but the bacon roll and brown sauce made up for it!

Then to our hotel in Arran, The Ormidale. Simple, old-fashioned room and family run.

Met up with Fiona and John for an hour and then took our flowers to Irene and Robert’s spot. Fiona had been there yesterday, leaving some flowers to mark Jean’s passing as they couldn’t make the funeral.

Out for a good walk in the afternoon and enjoyed a perfect-Arran beautiful sunny day. We had kept two carnations back and cast them into Brodick Bay, just from where the two families used to set up their summer camp, and watched them gently float out into the Firth of Clyde . . . and who knows from there!

Dinner in the hotel at night, steak and ale pie and chips, perfect and delicious! Fell into bed!

Blip: Goatfell on Arran, Bb and myself outside the crematorium in Paisley (taken by Alexis), Fiona and Bb at Auchrannie, then us on the ferry.